IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i11p4980-d1667039.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Climate Resilience and Adaptive Strategies for Flood Mitigation: The Valencia Paradigm

Author

Listed:
  • Nuno D. Cortiços

    (CIAUD, Research Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Design, Lisbon School of Architecture, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Sá Nogueira, Polo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, 1349-063 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Carlos C. Duarte

    (CIAUD, Research Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Design, Lisbon School of Architecture, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Sá Nogueira, Polo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, 1349-063 Lisboa, Portugal)

Abstract

The Valencia region exemplifies the intricate interplay of climate, urbanization, and human interventions in managing hydrological systems amidst increasing environmental challenges. This study explores the escalating risks posed by flood events, emphasizing how anthropogenic factors—such as urban expansion, sediment exploitation, and inadequate land use—amplify the vulnerabilities to extreme weather patterns driven by abnormal Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentration. Nature-based solutions (NBS) like floodplain restoration and dam removal are analyzed for their benefits in enhancing ecosystem resilience and biodiversity but are critiqued for unintended consequences, including accelerated river flow and sedimentation issues. This study further examines the impacts of forest fires, exacerbated by land abandonment and insufficient management practices, on soil erosion and runoff. A critical evaluation of global policies like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reveals the tension between aspirational targets and practical, locally-driven implementations. By advocating historical insights, ecological restoration practices, and community engagement, the findings highlight the importance of adaptive strategies to harmonize global frameworks with local realities through modeling and scaling simulations, offering a replicable model for sustainable flood mitigation and resilience building in Mediterranean contexts and beyond.

Suggested Citation

  • Nuno D. Cortiços & Carlos C. Duarte, 2025. "Climate Resilience and Adaptive Strategies for Flood Mitigation: The Valencia Paradigm," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-26, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4980-:d:1667039
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4980/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/11/4980/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chloé Duffaut & Nathalie Frascaria-Lacoste & Pierre-Antoine Versini, 2022. "Barriers and Levers for the Implantation of Sustainable Nature-Based Solutions in Cities: Insights from France," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Anna Biasin & Mauro Masiero & Giulia Amato & Davide Pettenella, 2023. "Nature-Based Solutions Modeling and Cost-Benefit Analysis to Face Climate Change Risks in an Urban Area: The Case of Turin (Italy)," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-32, January.
    3. Maria Karagianni, 2023. "Making Thessaloniki Resilient? The Enclosing Process of the Urban Green Commons," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 346-360.
    4. Tatiana Andrikopoulou & Ralph M. J. Schielen & Chris J. Spray & Cor A. Schipper & Astrid Blom, 2021. "A Framework to Evaluate the SDG Contribution of Fluvial Nature-Based Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-25, October.
    5. Maria Karagianni, 2023. "Making Thessaloniki Resilient? The Enclosing Process of the Urban Green Commons," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 346-360.
    6. Anders Solheim & Vittoria Capobianco & Amy Oen & Bjørn Kalsnes & Turid Wullf-Knutsen & Mari Olsen & Nicola Del Seppia & Idoia Arauzo & Eva Garcia Balaguer & James Michael Strout, 2021. "Implementing Nature-Based Solutions in Rural Landscapes: Barriers Experienced in the PHUSICOS Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-21, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Roberta Cucca & Thomas Thaler, 2023. "Social Justice in the Green City," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 279-282.
    2. Paschalis D. Koutalakis & Ourania A. Tzoraki & Georgios I. Prazioutis & Georgios T. Gkiatas & George N. Zaimes, 2021. "Can Drones Map Earth Cracks? Landslide Measurements in North Greece Using UAV Photogrammetry for Nature-Based Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Carmela Mariano & Marsia Marino, 2023. "The Climate-Proof Planning towards the Ecological Transition: Isola Sacra—Fiumicino (Italy) between Flood Risk and Urban Development Prospectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-23, May.
    4. Stavros Vigkos & Panagiotis G. Kosmopoulos, 2024. "Photovoltaics Energy Potential in the Largest Greek Cities: Atmospheric and Urban Fabric Effects, Climatic Trends Influences and Socio-Economic Benefits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-32, August.
    5. Melika Zarei & Sina Shahab, 2025. "Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Green Infrastructure: A Systematic Review of Success Factors and Implementation Challenges," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-26, April.
    6. Roberta Cucca & Thomas Thaler, 2023. "Social Justice in the Green City," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 279-282.
    7. Madalyn Baldwin & Andrew Fox & Travis Klondike & Meredith Hovis & Theodore Shear & Lauren Joca & Megan Hester & Frederick Cubbage, 2022. "Geospatial Analysis and Land Suitability for “FloodWise” Practices: Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Mitigation in Eastern, Rural North Carolina," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-28, September.
    8. Vidya Anderson & Manavvi Suneja & Jelena Dunjic, 2023. "Sensing and Measurement Techniques for Evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions: A State-of-the-Art Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-39, July.
    9. Tuan Nguyen‐Anh & Shawn Leu & Anh Nguyen‐Thi‐Phuong & Thanh Ngo‐Dang & Nguyen To‐The, 2023. "Adapting to the new normal: A sustainable livelihood framework for the informal sectors during COVID‐19," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 1092-1112, May.
    10. Anahita Azadgar & Lucyna Nyka & Stefano Salata, 2024. "Advancing Urban Flood Resilience: A Systematic Review of Urban Flood Risk Mitigation Model, Research Trends, and Future Directions," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-26, December.
    11. Soini, Katriina & Anderson, Carl Cyrus & Polderman, Annemarie & Teresa, Carlone & Sisay, Debele & Kumar, Prashant & Mannocchi, Matteo & Mickovski, Slobodan & Panga, Depy & Pilla, Francesco & Preuschma, 2023. "Context matters: Co-creating nature-based solutions in rural living labs," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    12. Venuti, Francesco, 2025. "Bridging NbS and legal literature: Institutional, procedural and substantive barriers to nature-based solutions implementation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:11:p:4980-:d:1667039. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.